Budget

Will the state backfill programs funded with document recording surcharges?

[Updated 4/14] The Office of Financial Management (OFM) has written to the Legislature to express its concerns with the operating budgets passed by the House and Senate. One of the items specifically mentioned by OFM is that the Legislature should “ensure appropriate backfill for lower-than anticipated document recording fees to maintain current services and programs.” […]

The House and Senate would add a new $100 document recording assessment to fund a covenant homeownership program

Both the House and Senate have passed slightly different versions of HB 1474. The bill would add a $100 “covenant homeownership program assessment” for each recorded document. (This would not apply to birth, marriage, divorce, or death documents; marriage licenses issued by a county auditor; certain name change orders; documents recording government wage liens or […]

New brief: Comparing the Senate- and House-Passed Operating Budgets

Compared to the 2022 supplemental, the Senate-passed operating budget proposal would increase 2023–25 appropriations by 8.2% and the House-passed proposal would increase appropriations by 9.4%. Neither the Senate nor the House would increase general taxes. To fund the new, ongoing spending, both proposals—but especially the House’s—would use one-time funds, including reserves. Read the report here.

House operating budget would shift federal relief money previously appropriated for learning loss to special education

The enacted 2021–23 operating budget appropriated $553.1 million from the federal elementary and secondary school emergency relief (ESSER) fund to address pandemic learning loss. This money is mostly from the third ESSER round, which must be spent by Sept. 2024. Washington’s school districts received $1.668 billion from the third round and the Office of Superintendent […]

The hospital safety net assessment program could be permanently extended; budget proposals assume $452 million in general fund savings in 2025–27

The Legislature looks set to extend and overhaul the hospital safety net assessment (HSNA) this year. Under current law, an assessment is levied on hospitals’ non-Medicare inpatient days. The collections are then returned to providers as Medicaid payments, which generates the federal Medicaid match. Those funds can be used to supplant state spending. This policy […]

Tax policy, benefit policy, and economic impact provisos in the budget proposals

The Senate and House 2023–25 operating budget proposals include various provisos related to tax policy, benefit policy, and economic impacts. (This post refers to the budget proposals as passed by the Senate and approved by the House Appropriations Committee.) First, the Senate proposal would reauthorize the Tax Structure Workgroup (TSWG). In December, the TSWG recommended […]

House chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget would reduce 2021–23 appropriations by $804 million (and what’s happening with K–3 class size compliance?)

The House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023 supplemental operating budget proposal would reduce 2021–23 appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by a net of $804.0 million. Maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) changes would increase appropriations by $423.9 million and new policies would reduce appropriations by $1.228 […]

The mystery of the higher education funding swap

The Senate operating budget proposal includes a mostly hidden swap of higher education funding for the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) that would result in more spending from the workforce education investment account (WEIA). First, some background on the WEIA: The account may be used for higher education purposes, and it “must be used to […]

W&M operating budget amendments would transfer more from reserves to fund additional spending

On Monday, the Senate Ways & Means (W&M) Committee amended and passed its chair’s operating budget proposal. Adopted amendments would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $191.1 million in 2023–25. Total NGFO appropriations for 2023–25 would be $69.375 billion. Of the changes, the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, […]

House chair’s operating budget would increase appropriations for new policies by $5.004 billion

New policies in the House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023–25 operating budget proposal would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $5.004 billion. (Maintenance level changes would increase appropriations by another $914.6 million.) The chart below compares the policy changes to those in the proposals from the governor and the Senate Ways & […]